Community’s First Great Episode of the Season!

I feel that the smart writing and strong character development that has taken place over the course of the last three seasons has built up so much good will that I was willing to go down with the ship this season no matter how much disappointment I was feeling. Let’s be honest with each other, the first few episodes of Season 4 were not good Community episodes. In comparison to any other major network sitcom, they were still good. But we Community fans had been spoiled over the past three years. We had been given a sitcom where so much thought and care had gone into the writing that we elevated it to the highest level of Holy-dom. Something perfect.

Teetering on the precipice of cancellation every season of its existence, we thought our worst fear was its disappearance. What we hadn’t considered is the show existing, but without the soul that made it so ethereal. When Dan Harmon was forced to leave due to difficulties with NBC management, we told ourselves that any Community was better than no Community. But when the first few episodes were so (for lack of a better word) average, hodgepodges of winks to past jokes and plot points that, while okay, failed to carry the emotional heft we have come to love, we were saddened by the disappearance of heart that made the show stand out.

Last night’s episode, “Alternative History of the German Invasion”, was the first time this season that I felt like I was watching the Community I loved so much from its earlier seasons. The twist of “Oh my God! We’re the Germans” was perfectly timed and the references to past events from the outsiders perspective gave the show that heft I was describing before.

I hope that this is a sign of more greatness to come this season. Like I said at the beginning, I am willing to go down with this ship, but maybe, just maybe, we haven’t hit the iceberg yet, and we can still float on to shore.